Title IX — SUFFRAGE AND ELECTIONS

116.010. Definitions. — As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, (1) "County" means any one of the several counties of this state or the city of St. Louis; (2) "Election authority" means a county clerk or board of election commissioners, as established by …

116.020. Application of laws. — This chapter shall apply to elections on statewide ballot measures. The election procedures contained in chapter 115 shall apply to elections on statewide ballot measures, except to the extent that the provisions of chapter 116 directly conflict, i…

116.025. Attorney general sent fair ballot language, when — statement posted at polling place. — The secretary of state within twenty days of receiving a statewide ballot measure shall prepare and transmit to the attorney general fair ballot language statements that fairly and ac…

*116.030. Referendum petition, form — clerical and technical errors to be disregarded, penalties for false signature. — The following shall be substantially the form of each page of referendum petitions on any law passed by the general assembly of the state of Missouri: ­ ­ ­­ ­ …

*116.040. Initiative petition for law or constitutional amendment, form — clerical and technical errors to be disregarded, penalties for false signature. — The following shall be substantially the form of each page of each petition for any law or amendment to the Constitution of …

116.050. Initiative and referendum petitions, requirements. — 1. Initiative and referendum petitions filed under the provisions of this chapter shall consist of pages of a uniform size. Each page, excluding the text of the measure, shall be no larger than eight and one-half by fo…

116.060. Initiative and referendum petitions, who may sign — residents of one county only on a designated page. — Any registered voter of the state of Missouri may sign initiative and referendum petitions. However, each page of an initiative or referendum petition shall contain s…

116.070. Petitioner may sign by mark, procedure. — When any voter wishes to sign an initiative or referendum petition and is unable to sign his name, the circulator shall print the required information on the petition. The voter shall then make his mark, and the circulator shall …

116.080. Qualifications of circulator — affidavit, notarization, penalty. — 1. Each petition circulator shall be at least eighteen years of age and registered with the secretary of state. Signatures collected by any circulator who has not registered with the secretary of state pu…

116.090. Petition signature fraud, penalty. — 1. Any person who commits any of the following actions is guilty of the crime of petition signature fraud: (1) Signs any name other than his or her own to any petition, or who knowingly signs his or her name more than once for the sam…

116.100. Filing of petition, procedure. — The secretary of state shall not accept any referendum petition submitted later than 5:00 p.m. on the final day for filing referendum petitions. The secretary of state shall not accept any initiative petition submitted later than 5:00 p.m…

116.110. Signature may be withdrawn, when, how, effect, penalty. — Any voter who has signed an initiative or referendum petition may withdraw his or her signature from that petition by submitting to the secretary of state, before the petition is filed with the secretary of state,…

116.115. Withdrawal of petition, when — vacation of official ballot title, when. — Any person who submits a sample sheet to or files an initiative petition with the secretary of state may withdraw the petition upon written notice to the secretary of state. If such notice is submi…

116.120. Secretary of state to determine sufficiency of form and compliance — invalid signatures not counted — signatures may be verified by random sampling, procedure and requirements. — 1. When an initiative or referendum petition is submitted to the secretary of state, he or s…

116.130. Election authorities may be requested to verify signatures either by random sampling or checking signatures, when, how. — 1. The secretary of state may send copies of petition pages to election authorities to verify that the persons whose names are listed as signers to t…

116.140. Secretary of state's authority not to count forged or fraudulent signatures. — Notwithstanding certifications from election authorities under section 116.130, the secretary of state shall have authority not to count signatures on initiative or referendum petitions which …

116.150. Secretary of state to issue certificate of sufficiency of petition, when — if insufficient, certificate to state reasons. — 1. After the secretary of state makes a determination on the sufficiency of the petition and if the secretary of state finds it sufficient, the sec…

116.153. Hearing to take public comments — joint committee on legislative research to provide summary to secretary of state, posting on website. — Within thirty days of issuing certification that the petition contains a sufficient number of valid signatures pursuant to section 11…

*116.155. Official summaries and fiscal notes may be included in ballot measures, summary to be official ballot title if included. — 1. The general assembly may include the official summary statement and a fiscal note summary in any statewide ballot measure that it refers to the …

*116.160. Summary statement to be provided by the secretary of state if summary not provided by general assembly — content. — 1. If the general assembly adopts a joint resolution proposing a constitutional amendment or a bill without a fiscal note summary, which is to be referred…

116.170. Fiscal note and fiscal note summary to be provided by state auditor if not provided by general assembly. — If the general assembly adopts a joint resolution proposing a constitutional amendment or a bill without a fiscal note summary, which is to be referred to a vote of…

116.175. Fiscal impact of proposed measure — fiscal note, fiscal note summary, requirements — return of fiscal note for revision, when. — 1. Except as provided in section 116.155, upon receipt from the secretary of state's office of any petition sample sheet, joint resolution or …

116.180. Copies of ballot title, fiscal note and fiscal note summary to designated persons, when — ballot title to be affixed to petition, when. — Within three days after receiving the official summary statement the approved fiscal note summary and the fiscal note relating to any…

116.185. Identical ballot titles may be changed, how. — Before the ballot is printed, if the title of a ballot issue is identical or substantially identical to the title of another ballot issue that will appear on the same ballot, the election authority shall promptly notify the …

*116.190. Ballot title may be challenged, procedure — who are parties defendant — changes may be made, procedure — appeal to supreme court, when — action extinguished, when. — 1. Any citizen who wishes to challenge the official ballot title or the fiscal note prepared for a propo…

116.195. Costs of court-ordered ballot title change to be paid by the state. — Whenever the reprinting of a statewide ballot measure is necessary as a result of a court-ordered change to the ballot language for such measure, the costs of such reprinting shall be paid by the state…

116.200. Secretary of state's decision as to sufficiency of petition may be reversed, procedure — appeal. — 1. After the secretary of state certifies a petition as sufficient or insufficient, any citizen may apply to the circuit court of Cole County to compel him to reverse his d…

116.210. Numbering of proposed constitutional amendments. — The secretary of state shall number proposed constitutional amendments in the order in which they are passed by the general assembly, or submitted by initiative petition, or adopted by constitutional convention. He shall…

116.220. Labeling of initiative and referendum measures. — The secretary of state shall label statutory initiative and referendum measures alphabetically in the order in which they are submitted by petition or in the order in which they are passed by the general assembly. The sec…

116.230. Sample ballots to be prepared, form. — 1. The secretary of state shall prepare sample ballots in the following form. 2. The top of the ballot shall read: "OFFICIAL BALLOT STATE OF MISSOURI" 3. When constitutional amendments are submitted, the first heading shall read: "C…

116.240. Certification to election authorities of notice to be published — contents. — Not later than the tenth Tuesday prior to an election at which a statewide ballot measure is to be voted on, the secretary of state shall send each election authority a certified copy of the le…

116.250. Publication of legal notice. — On receiving a notice under section 116.240, each election authority shall cause the legal notice to be published in accordance with subsection 2 of section 115.127. ­­-------- (L. 1980 S.B. 658) Effective 1-01-81

[Repealed or reserved.]

116.270. Publications fund created — payments from fund for what, how made. — 1. There is hereby created a "Publications Fund" which shall be used only to pay printing, publication, and other expenses incurred in submitting statewide ballot measures to the voters. 2. The secretar…

116.280. Paper ballots for statewide measures, form. — In jurisdictions using paper ballots, election authorities shall cause the ballots for statewide ballot measures to be printed on paper not less than four inches wide and ten inches long, and all in the same color and size. M…

116.290. Printing of copies of statewide measures — to be posted at polling places — distribution, exception. — 1. The secretary of state shall distribute copies of each statewide ballot measure, except proposed constitutions as published in newspapers for legal notice of the ele…

116.300. Challengers and watchers at polling places, how designated. — Not later than the fourth Tuesday prior to an election on a statewide ballot measure, each chairman of a county campaign committee favoring a measure and each chairman of a county campaign committee opposing a…

116.310. Time limited for designating challengers and watchers for polling places and counting locations — effect of failure to designate by prescribed time. — 1. Not later than the Tuesday prior to an election on a statewide ballot measure, each county campaign committee chairma…

116.320. Adoption of measure, vote required — effect of approval of conflicting measures. — 1. Each statewide ballot measure receiving a majority of affirmative votes is adopted. 2. If voters approve two or more conflicting statutes at the same election, the statute receiving the…

116.330. Board of canvassers or governor to issue statement. — 1. After an election at which any statewide ballot measure, other than a proposed constitution or constitutional amendment submitted by a constitutional convention, is voted upon, the secretary of state shall convene …

116.332. Petitions for constitutional amendments, statutory initiative or referendum, requirements, procedure. — 1. Before a constitutional amendment petition, a statutory initiative petition, or a referendum petition may be circulated for signatures, a sample sheet must be submi…

*116.334. Petition approval required, procedure to obtain petition title or summary statement — rejection or approval of petition, procedure — circulation of petition prior to approval, effect — signatures, deadline for filing. — 1. If the petition form is approved, the secretary…

116.340. Publication of approved measures. — When a statewide ballot measure is approved by the voters, the secretary of state shall publish it with the laws enacted by the following session of the general assembly, and the revisor of statutes shall include it in the next edition…